If you want to see Robin Williams showcasing his comedic chops, Good Morning, Vietnam is the movie to see. Good Morning, Vietnam is a 1987 military comedy-drama set in 1965 during the Vietnam War. Robin Williams is radio DJ Adrian Cronauer who is sent to Saigon to work for Armed Forces Radio Service. Cronauer lives …

The dinner table; a place for families, friends, acquaintances, and strangers to meet and break bread, settle business deals, discuss the days behind, and the days ahead. For as longs as I can remember and surely many hundreds of years beyond that, the dinner table, in whatever shape it may have been, was and still …

Muffins are simple and classic, but sometimes simple and classic are best. In the movie Casino (1995), directed by Martin Scorsese, there is a spot-on and hilarious scene about blueberry muffins. Why would there be a scene about blueberry muffins in a movie about a man, Sam Rothstein (Robert De Niro), who oversees the day-to-day operations …

Ever since culinary school started a few months ago, I have had little time for personal reading. My evenings are now spent writing recipes, cooking, and studying. This month I’m making more of an effort to include reading in my daily schedule, no matter what. While I normally stick to non-fiction reads, this month I’m …

“Is the spring coming?” he said. “What is it like?” “It is the sun shining on the rain and the rain falling on the sunshine, and things pushing up and working under the earth,” said Mary. “If the garden was a secret and we could get into it we could watch the things grow bigger …

In the Spotlight is a series that showcases the favorite movies and food of professionals in the food and film industries. Chef Charlie Granquist recently joined The Institute of Culinary Education (ICE) – where he is an alum – as a chef instructor after many years of working at the Food Network in culinary development, …

With spring comes baseball season. In the spirit of the game (and spring desserts), eat and watch a Rockford Peaches Galette with Bourbon Vanilla Whipped Cream and A League of Their Own. A League of Their Own is a gem of a movie. Starring Geena Davis at Dottie Hinson, Lori Petty as Kit Keller, Madonna as Mae …

Charming corner booth at Cafe Clover in NYC on a sleepy Saturday morning. The best film versions of Shakespeare. Burgers and Napa Valley wine paired by NYC sommeliers. Boozy bourbon bubble tea. That’s all. The most iconic movies filmed in each state. West coast cookie versus East coast cookie. Tituss Burgess from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is hysterical. The …

Recently one Saturday morning I watched We Bought a Zoo (2011) after thinking about movies with characters who make drastic life decisions as a way to get out of a rut they’ve been in. In this movie, Matt Damon’s character, Ben, purchases a piece of land with a zoo on it. This purchase is Ben’s way of coping with …

Happy spring! Flowers in full bloom downtown near my culinary school. Food and Wine‘s Best New Chefs for 2016. What you should read based on your Netflix history. Ina Garten, you’re so wise. Get inspired by the mindfulness of this chef. In 2018 Starbucks will be opening its biggest store (20,000 square feet!) in NYC. The real …